OPINION: Complicity and those above the law

Hoyporhoy La Prensa, September 19

ORGANIZED Crime  knows no borders.

Crimes are committed against a state, but the benefits of the illegal act, including those who corrupt politicians usually go to another and sometimes can play in several countries.

Examples are so abundant that nations, to counter the power of these criminal organizations and trace their  footsteps, have agreed and signed multilateral or bilateral cooperation treaties, which have even been  incorporated into their legislation.

We recently saw how Panama called for cooperation from Brazil in the case of dehydrated food, investigations into ex-president Martinelli  administration officials and businessmen.

The South American country promptly answered all the questions, which led to an investigation by its authorities to help clear up the case in Panama.

But to our shame, Panama- did not show the same diligence when prosecutors  in  Operation Lava Jato asked our authorities more than a year ago, for cooperation to investigate bank accounts of a company linked to Construtora Norberto Odebrecht, used to deposit money allegedly stolen from the Brazilian state.

The Attorney General said that Panama had complied with the request for information, but now, thanks to transparent information processes in Brazil, we know that what was sent the Panamanian Public Ministry to Brazilian tax is a complete sham, with the aggravating circumstance that it took months to respond, despite what was requested  almost the equivalent of a telegram. Panama’s response to Brazil looks almost like an act of complicity.

A clumsy attempt to act as accessories after the fact, and that puts the spotlight  on the  enormous power until today Invisible that Odebrecht holds on governments and local authorities.

Excuses abound, but the facts expose a reality that shows us there are individuals and companies in Panama who continue to be above the law.